Canucks did not have a strong regular season, limped into seed #3, with some help from the Wild who seemed to nose dive after the TDL. In the Canucks’ defense, for most of regular season injuries to key players ( Booth, Kesler, Bieksa) may have factored into their so-so play. But also I think Canucks’ fans frustration with Vigneault and Gillis have merit. Gillis has made some questionable contract, player, staff decisions. Resigning Vigneault to a 3 year extension was bizarre; trading Hodgkins for Kassian was odd; signing Lou to that long contract was nuts; not unloading Lou after Luongo went public about wanting to leave the Canucks had to be hard on LR morale. Not resigning Torres after the SCF loss even though the Canucks’ 3rd line players really meshed together was hard to understand. The fans discontent with Vigneault’s decisions also is justified IMO. His hate for Ballard clouds his judgement for defense pairings – why play a rookie and sit Ballard in Game 1? Separating Higgins from Roy even though they have great chemistry was self defeating. Vigneault just seems to have out stayed his welcome in Vancouver – I think the fans are sick of him and Gillis. It happens when the incumbents stay too long in their positions with no SC trophy win. I read that this play off season, the Canucks org had a significant number of lower bowl seats available so they offered them at reduced prices to Canuck employees and select corporate partners. That has to be a first in recent Canuck history.

Would the Canucks perform better under a different coach? Maybe.
Are the Canucks out talented by the Sharks? On paper if Schneider and Booth and Tanev were not injured, I’d say Canucks and Sharks are pretty even to one another in terms of raw talent and skills.

Re: Wild and Hawks

Wild are definitely out talented by the Hawks.
But IMO in Game 1, it looked to me that the Wild gave the Hawks a good run for their $ – the Wild exceeded their reach in play. The Hawks had a hard time getting any traction in the game. I didn’t see the Hawks dominating the Wild until the latter part of the 3rd period. Considering that the Wild were playing their back up gt, who has MS and who hasn’t played much in reg season because of his illness, and also that the Wild lost 2 top 6 forwards to injury ( Heatley and Pominville), I think the Wild played admirably in Game 1.

I say, for Canada’s sake, build a wall around Montreal and don’t let them leave. 😉

]]>By: Tom (fm Quinzee)http://blogs.mercurynews.com/sharks/2013/05/02/havlats-status-still-uncertain-but-now-we-know-what-happened-to-sharks-right-wing-and-more/comment-page-2/#comment-220487
Fri, 03 May 2013 19:42:49 +0000http://blogs.mercurynews.com/sharks/?p=9517#comment-220487Just pondering something that the exchange between Lisa’s 16 and GP’s 48 & 66 touch on. When is a team under-performing, and when does a team simply get beat?

I agree w/ you, Lisa, about past Sharks performances. There has been under-performing issues. However, when the Hawks beat the Sharks in the WCFs, they beat the Sharks. Period. And I feel the same way about 2011 v. the ‘Nucks, though some here (Zeke) disagree.

But this season the Sharks have owned the ‘Nucks. Maybe, just maybe, the ‘Nucks are not under-performing?

Another example. I thought the other night that the Hawks outplayed the Wild, and clearly did so. But the Wild could have won that game. They had chances late and in OT. Even though they were being outplayed, it wasn’t totally one-sided. Was either team under-performing?

I guess this is to be filed under “hockey happens”???

I’m not finding fault w/ your discussion, it’s just something about sports, sports fans, and athletes that I see and wonder about. Does anyone ever just get beat? Nowadays, nobody admits it.

One of the things I liked about running back in my youth was that very simple fact – if you didn’t come out of the blocks, if you hit a hurdle, you didn’t lose. I beat you. I did come out of the blocks, and I didn’t hit any hurdles. It’s part of the sport. Hockey, though, has a lot more room for accident & contingency to affect things.

DP, we need a new blog – “The Philosophy of Sports.”

]]>By: GPhttp://blogs.mercurynews.com/sharks/2013/05/02/havlats-status-still-uncertain-but-now-we-know-what-happened-to-sharks-right-wing-and-more/comment-page-2/#comment-220486
Fri, 03 May 2013 19:36:17 +0000http://blogs.mercurynews.com/sharks/?p=9517#comment-220486Alex, I am guessing they are putting together the video explanation as I type…

I want to see this too.

Even worse, 2 games…on top of the game misconduct. Should have been time served and mayhem in Montreal.

I don’t disagree as much with the penalty on the ice. I am not sure It really was interference because the puck was on Eller’s stick when he got hit. But, the interference (as called) resulted in an injury. So, major and gamer is justified.

This may be NHL payback to Montreal for the Chara – Pachoretti hit. Chara received no suspension on that interference play…just the gamer if I recall.

You may not have been here at WTC since the beginning like I have. So, it’s understandable you didn’t see the “cut of my jib.” (hat tip Dennis Miller for that phrase.)

I know a good many got it. A good many more aren’t happy I point it out. A good many are sick of me pointing it out again. And others I am sure are over it, even if they agree.

But, when a gem like that rolls across my keyboard…..

So, Thank you for listing the link to the article.

]]>By: Alexhttp://blogs.mercurynews.com/sharks/2013/05/02/havlats-status-still-uncertain-but-now-we-know-what-happened-to-sharks-right-wing-and-more/comment-page-2/#comment-220484
Fri, 03 May 2013 19:24:39 +0000http://blogs.mercurynews.com/sharks/?p=9517#comment-220484Lisa,
If Gryba is suspended I would like to see the explanation for it. How can you suspend the guy for illegal check to the head when he clearly didn’t hit him to the head? Suspend Gryba for “hard hit’?
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